1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48

The journey of Pierce-Arrow to establish itself as one of America's most esteemed automobile manufacturers commenced from modest origins. Founded in 1865 as Heinz, Pierce and Munschauer, George N. Pierce acquired a controlling interest in 1872, reorganizing the firm as the George N Pierce Company. The company built many products including birdcages, iceboxes, and even bathtubs, and they used this manufacturing skill, particularly their experience with wire products, to excel in bicycle manufacturing as that market hit its peak in the late 19th century. Priced attractively and built to the highest standards, the Pierce cycles were highly desirable.

As the market shifted towards horseless carriages, the company's treasurer, Charles Clifton, suggested they build a product of their own using De Dion engines. The early motorcars built by Pierce used this powerplant, but it was British-born engineer David Fergusson who contributed most to the new Pierce car, the Motorette, which was put into production in late 1901. By 1903, the company was manufacturing their own engines. Mr. Fergusson remained with the company, serving as Chief Engineer, for two decades.

Two-cylinder Arrow and four-cylinder Great Arrow models followed in 1904. Larger and more luxurious automobiles followed, catering to the market's upper echelons. Their reputation was bolstered in 1905 when Percy Pierce (George's son) won the first of the famous Glidden Tours driving a Great Arrow. Pierce cars claimed victory in the next four events, an unprecedented achievement.

In 1906, the company constructed an integrated factory in Buffalo that covered 1.5 million square feet on the site of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Unit production, however, remained low as the company focused on quality, utilizing the finest materials available. The company controlled nearly all aspects of construction including coachwork, making it one of the few that did not rely on outside coachbuilders. Instead, Pierce-Arrow worked with its Buffalo, New York neighbor Aluminum Company of America to perfect casting techniques which produced cast aluminum body panels as thin as 1/8-inch. Thus, the Pierce-Arrow bodies were lightweight and strong. Body designs were created by Pierce-Arrow's Art Department, with many under the supervision of Herbert Dawley. In 1913, Dawley patented the feature that would come to be Pierce-Arrow's trademark, the headlights faired into the tops of the front fenders. From this point forward, nearly every Pierce-Arrow automobile would wear this feature, making them distinctive but also providing better illumination.

The company's first six-cylinder model was introduced in 1907, and by 1910, only six-cylinder models were offered. The company would solely offer six-cylinder models until the eight-cylinder engine debuted in 1929.

The Series Q Great Arrow of 1907 was powered by a T-head six-cylinder engine with a displacement size of 648 cubic inches, rated at 60 horsepower (ALAM). The Series QQ of 1909 utilized a 453 cubic-inch T-head six with 48.6 ALAM racing, while the Series SS used a smaller 2347 CID six, rated at 37 ALAM horsepower.

In 1909, the company reorganized, splitting the bicycle and motorcycle business off from the automobile business which took the name Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company. When George N. Pierce resigned from active involvement, the company management was handled by Col. Charles Clifton.

U.S. President William Howard Taft ordered two Pierce-Arrows to be used for state occasions in 1909, thus honoring the company with the distinction of supplying the White House's first official automobiles.

The Pierce-Arrow Model 48
Within Pierce-Arrow's line of six-cylinder luxury models, the Model 48 was the mid-level option, resting above the Model 36 and below the 66. Its designation was sourced from the 48.6 horsepower (calculated ALAM horsepower / producing 92 hp or more on the Pierce-Arrow dynamometers) produced by the 524 cubic-inch T-head engine, a figure that accommodated speeds that few roads of the era could accommodate.

The six-cylinder Pierce-Arrows had its cylinders cast in pairs, supported by aluminum crankcases. The T-head engines exhibited significant power, and the exceptional quality control ensured unmatched durability. Each engine was dynamometer-tested for performance before being completely disassembled, inspected and tested yet again for smoothness.

The Model 48 had a 134.5 inch wheelbase chassis and the cast-aluminum body was held together by rivets, with the fenders being stamped aluminum. The transmission was a four-speed and the suspension was semi-elliptical leaf springs.

The 1909 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 rested on a 130-inch wheelbase and was priced from $4,800 to $6,200 depending on coachwork. The 1910 Model 48 moved to a 134.5-inch wheelbase, where it resided until 1913 when it grew to 142 inches. Now described as the Model 48-B, it would remain in production on the 142-inch wheelbase platform through 1919. By this point, its pricing began at $5,400 and rose to over $8,000.

The 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48SS
The 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 was offered as a Miniature Tonneau priced at $4,850, a runabout at $4,950, a close coupled 5-passenger, a protected tourer, and a 7-passenger tourer priced at $5,000, and a suburban at $6,100. The Landau was the most expensive bodystyle in the factory catalog, priced at $6,200.

The 525 CID T-head inline 6 produced 48 hp at 1,500 RPM and was mated to a four-speed selective sliding gearbox. It had rear mechanical drum brakes and a live rear axle.

Pierce-Arrow produced approximately 2,131 vehicles in 1911, an increase of about 213 from the previous year. Production remained in the high-1,000s and low 2,000 region through 1924, increasing to 5,231 for 1925 and peaking at 8,422 in 1929. Sales declined during the Great Depression, and by 1938, it produced just 26 vehicles.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2007